Valve



y 1930- F. B. RICKENBERG 1,757,059

VALVE.

Filed April 28, 1928 "III-nun lulu-III! E if Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE FREDERICK B. BICKENIBERG, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLF'ANIA.

VALVE Application filed April 28,

electro-magnetically controlled and regulated, thereby providing a device that is particularly adaptable for remote control and for continuous, automatic, or intermittent operations.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of the class stated, which is simple in its construction and arrangement, strong, durable and eflicient in its use, compact, positive in its action, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, operate and maintain.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter referred to, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention hereinafter disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of an electro-magnetically operated valve constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of the wiring arrangement involved in the operation of the shown embodiment of my improved valve.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, cross sectional view of a modified form of valve embodying the invention.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5, Figure 4.

Referring in detail to the drawing 1 denotes a valve casing having internally threaded open ends 2 and 3 permitting of the connection of the device in associated conduits. The interior of the casing 1 is provided with a horizontally disposed partition 4, which 1928. Serial No. 278,703.

divides the interior of the casing 1 into an upper inlet chamber 5 and a lower outlet chamber 6. The inlet chamber 5 communicates with the open end 2 and the outlet chamber 6 communicates with the open end 3.

The top of the partition 4 is formed with three valve seats, respectively indicated at 7, 8 and 9. The partition 4 is further formed with outlet ports 10, 11 and 12, which establish communication between respective valve seats 7, 8 and 9 and the outlet chamber 6. The passage areas or capacities of the outlet ports 10, 11 and 12 increase in the order named, that is, the outlet port 11 is larger than the outlet port 10, and the outlet port 12 is larger than the outlet port 11.

The valve seats 7, 8 and 9 are approximately semi-round in contour to seat the correspondingly shaped portions of the spherical valve members, respectively indicated at 13, 14 and 15. The valve members 13, 14 and 15 are mounted for vertical movement, in.the upper inlet chamber 5, to open and close the respectively associated outlet ports 10, 11 and 12. Each of the valve members 13, 14 and 15 is maintained in its proper vertical alignment, by confining the same in a cage consisting of a plurality of vertically extending guide posts 16, which are preferably formed inte ral with the partition 14 and the casing top 1%.

Solenoids or magnet coils, respectively i dicated at 18, 19 and 20, are mounted in the casing top 17 directly above the respective valve members 13, 14- and 15. Each of the solenoids 18, 19 and 20 includes a threadeclly attached core 21, the lower threaded end 22 of which is engaged in a threaded aperture 23 formed in the casing top 17 in vertical alignment with respective valve members 18, 19 and 20. 7

Each of the solenoid cores 21 is provided with an enlarged portion 24, which seats on the marginaltop edge of the associated aperture 23 within an annular, vertically disposed neck 25 which is formed integral with the casing top 17. A suitable gasket 26 is mounted on the core 21 on top of the en larged core portion 24 and within the neck 25. An apertured cap 'nut 27 engages the latter and establishes a leak proof connection of the solenoid with the casing inlet chamber 5.

When the solenoids 18, I9 and 20 are energized, the associated valve members 13, 14 5 and will be drawn upwardly by magnet1c attraction against the lower ends 22 of the cores 21, thereby opening the outlet ports 10, 11 and 12. When the solenoids 18, 19 and are de-energized, the valve members 13, 14 and 15 will drop into their respective valve seats 7, 8 and 9 by gravity and close the outlet ports 10, 11 and 12. The closing eificiency of the valve members 13, 14 and 15, in the manner stated, is greatly augmented 15 by the mean pressure of the fluid bemg conveyed by the device. 0 The wiring arrangement for operating the valve herein described is clearly illustrated in Figure 3. The negative terminals 28 of 20 the solenoids 18, 19 and 20 are o1ned to negative main conductor 28, whlle the positive terminals 29 of respective soleno1ds 18,

19 and 20 are joined with respective swltch contacts 30, 31 and 32. The switch 33 is connected with positive main conductor 34.

In the operation of my improved valve, the switch 33 will first engage the contact thereby energizing the solenoid 18. Th1s Wlll actuate the valve member 13 to open the smallest outlet port 10. The switch 33 is then shifted to the contact 31, as shown in Figure 3, thereby causing the de-energization of the solenoid 18 and energizing the solenoid 19, to actuate the valve member 14 to open the outlet port 11, as shown in Figure 1. Upon shifting the switch 33 to engage the contact 32, the solenoid 19 is de-energized and the solenoid 20 is energized to actuate the valve member 15 to open the largest outlet port 12. This latter port 12 is preferably the capacity of the valve and is maintained in the open position if the full capacity of the valve is required.

It will here be noted that in the operation of my improved valve the fluid being conveyed is let through the valve gradually .by the sequential operation of the valve members; 13, 14 and 15 in the manner described, thereby preventing liability of damaging the device by the instantaneous opening 0 the valve to its full capacity.

It will, of course, be obvious that the member of solenoids and of associated parts embodied in a valve. may be varied to best meet conditions found in practice. Further it 'will be understood that if full capacity of the valve is not required, the desired capacity may be established by maintaining the energization of the solenoid functioning to provide the same.

In the construction of my improved valve it will be necessary to construct the valve members 13, 14 and15 from suitable metal which is susceptible to magnetic attraction. Likewise the solenoid cores 21 are constructed from metal capable of electro-magnetic induction, and the same need not be insulated from the valve casing 1, if the latter are of usual brass or bronze construction.

The modified form of the device, illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, diflers from the preferred form, herein described, in that the valve member 35 is shifted to the opening position in the valve casing 36 by the energization of the associated solenoid 37, but is returned to the closing position by the action of the spring 38, which is carried on a stem- 39 fixed on the inner end of the valve member 35.

The arrangement of the modified form of valve will expedite the movement of the valve member to the closing position, and is further adaptable to valves having valve members that would not return to the closing position by gravity.

It will be understood that the present invention may be readily adapted to any type of valve and in connection with an type of mechanism wherein it is found to be applicable. Valves constructed in accordance with the'invention are particularly adaptable for automatic operation in timed relation with respect to each other, as required in the operation of the present type of internal combustion engines.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,

the advantages of the construction and the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while describing the principle of operation of the invention together with the device providing an embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that various changes in the form, proportion and details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. In combination, a valve of the character described comprising a hollow valve casing provided with a partition forming an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber in said valve casing, a plurality of valve seats formed in said partition, each'of said valve seats prosaid artition, each of said valve seats provideri with an outlet port establishing communication between said inlet and outlet chambers, a valve member for each of said 5 valve seats, electro-magnetic means for selectively actuating any of said valve members to open and close respective outlet ports, said outlet ports varying in area relatively to each other, solenoids detachably mounted to said valve casin and associated with respective valve mem ers, said solenoids selecq tively operable for actuating said valve members to open and close respective outlet ports for controlling the operation of the valve.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

FREDERICK B. RICKENBERG. 

